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From: John B on 23 Jun 2010 15:24
Just purchased a early Intel core solo model cheaply on ebay, it only
has 512mb of memory. Now I only really want it for email and web
browsing and maybe the odd letter or two. It is running Leopard.

I can get 2gb of ram from Crucial for �44 but how difficult is it to
actually open the mini. I've seen the tutorials of youtube and it
doesn't look easy.

The machine has yet to arrive but I'm guessing it will have 2 x 256mb
memory modules fitted, if it had 1 x 512mb I would just buy another
512mb module to bring it up to 1gb.

From what I've read this mini can't run Snow Leopard properly, is that
correct?

This is my first departure from a PC but recently I've had a bad
experience with malware and thought this might be a better option for
internet use.



Thanks,
From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 23 Jun 2010 15:49
On Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:24:50 +0100, John B <nospam(a)nospam.please>
wrote:

>Just purchased a early Intel core solo model cheaply on ebay, it only
>has 512mb of memory. Now I only really want it for email and web
>browsing and maybe the odd letter or two. It is running Leopard.
>
>I can get 2gb of ram from Crucial for �44 but how difficult is it to
>actually open the mini. I've seen the tutorials of youtube and it
>doesn't look easy.

It's a mild pain, but nothing to awful - to help, there's pretty much
no way you can break any of it while straining to get the lid off
(more likely to break fingernails) except by dropping it, so it's a
job best done on the sofa rather than the workbench.

Also, there's a tiny black two-wire cable in a black socket in a black
alcove at the front, next to the CR2032 - careful with that, it's
delicate, and remember to plug it back in as you reassemble otherwise
the fans will go at full speed. Also, it's very easy to wedge the
screw in the same corner as you try to put it back in - blutak or a
very magnetic screwdriver are vital.

Pro tip for next time you take it apart: Bend some/all of the plastic
prongs inwards to make it a lot easier.

>The machine has yet to arrive but I'm guessing it will have 2 x 256mb
>memory modules fitted, if it had 1 x 512mb I would just buy another
>512mb module to bring it up to 1gb.

It'll be 2x256, so best go straight to 2x1gig.

>From what I've read this mini can't run Snow Leopard properly, is that
>correct?

No - it can't run anything in 64bit, but otherwise it's fine. OSX is
extremely adaptable in 32bit/64bit terms, nothing like the pigs ear MS
have made of it, for the user there's no difference.

>This is my first departure from a PC but recently I've had a bad
>experience with malware and thought this might be a better option for
>internet use.

You'll like it, after the adaptation period. The worst thing (for
Windows/Linux users) is the lack of things to fiddle with, administer,
maintain, update.... Once you get into the mindset of leaving it alone
to quietly work, you'll find that it does indeed do just that.

Also, don't worry if you don't like Safari - just bang Firefox on.
Safari is pretty good these days though.

If you really want to take it to the limit - these boxes are easily
upgradable to a Core2duo (667fsb), and the hard drives are simple SATA
swaps too.
http://www.macintouch.com/specialreports/minimonster/
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-Mac-mini-Model-A1176-Core-2-Duo-Processor/1178/1

Cheers - Jaimie
--
Communicating badly and then acting smug when
you're misunderstood is not cleverness. -- http://xkcd.com/169
From: Rowland McDonnell on 23 Jun 2010 17:44
Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote:

> John B <nospam(a)nospam.please> wrote:
[snip]

> >The machine has yet to arrive but I'm guessing it will have 2 x 256mb
> >memory modules fitted, if it had 1 x 512mb I would just buy another
> >512mb module to bring it up to 1gb.
>
> It'll be 2x256, so best go straight to 2x1gig.

Yes. I'd not want to have less than 4GB myself - but I suspect 2GB's
fine for those who don't scan A4 at 1200 dpi like what I do (or insist
on opening up different really huge files or otherwise hammering the
RAM).

> >From what I've read this mini can't run Snow Leopard properly, is that
> >correct?
>
> No - it can't run anything in 64bit, but otherwise it's fine. OSX is
> extremely adaptable in 32bit/64bit terms, nothing like the pigs ear MS
> have made of it, for the user there's no difference.

Apple just did something sensible to address the issue, nothing fancy -
and rather like the `code in the data fork' approach used for the
68k/PPC switch, except that we've now got space for arbitrary different
sorts of code using a proper mechanism, rather than a bodge that lets
two different sets of code live together.

MS, from what I've gathered, just screwed it up.

> >This is my first departure from a PC but recently I've had a bad
> >experience with malware and thought this might be a better option for
> >internet use.
>
> You'll like it, after the adaptation period. The worst thing (for
> Windows/Linux users) is the lack of things to fiddle with, administer,
> maintain, update....

<cough> MacOS X is Unix. You can fiddle with stuff like that /if you
want to/ these days. And updates are needed all the flippin' time if
you ask me - although not as often as on Windoze.

> Once you get into the mindset of leaving it alone
> to quietly work, you'll find that it does indeed do just that.

Probably not a bad idea to let Software Update look for updates
automatically, mind - I don't trust it to do the updates unattended.

> Also, don't worry if you don't like Safari - just bang Firefox on.
> Safari is pretty good these days though.

[snip]

Other Web browsers that I find useful are:

Opera <http://www.opera.com/>
iCab <http://www.icab.de/>
OmniWeb <http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omniweb/>

(I use Firefox by default, try Safari next, and then `one of the others,
depending'. Opera's usually third.)

There's also Camino - but I've never found myself with Camino as the
only browser that'll work with a given page.

<http://caminobrowser.org/>

Rowland.


--
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Sorry - the spam got to me
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From: Julian Jordan on 24 Jun 2010 04:25
"John B" <nospam(a)nospam.please> wrote in message
news:55m4261v01r8h8e4snf87gfn99blkpre6k(a)4ax.com...
....
> I can get 2gb of ram from Crucial for �44 but how difficult is it to
> actually open the mini. I've seen the tutorials of youtube and it
> doesn't look easy.
....

If you've got a metal catch from a floppy disk and a sturdy table knife, you
can open it in about a minute without making a mark on it:

https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site/users/bioc0325/public/macminiopening.jpg

I must get around to doing a little youtube video version. You pinch the
catch together to make a really fine wedge, insert the wedge as you see in
the pic, push the knife inside the wedge (which protects the plastic from
scratching) and "pop" the catches. Repeat for the other sides and lift out
the guts of the computer!

Julian


From: John B on 24 Jun 2010 04:45
On Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:24:50 +0100, John B <nospam(a)nospam.please>
wrote:

Just another question, I had intended to use a Dell keyboard and
mouse, I assume the latter will be fine but as regards the keyboard
will there be any issues? ISTR that the mini was advertised as being
able to work with a PC keyboard and mouse but I could be wrong here.

Thanks,
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